I'm absolutely horrified reading through all of these experiences - it's clear that TWC's Commission Appeal process is completely broken and systematically failing people when they need help most. A year+ wait with zero communication is unconscionable for any government agency. What really gets me is that we're all having to become experts in bureaucratic warfare just to get basic services we're legally entitled to. The fact that multiple people have found success with the "shotgun approach" (state senators, ombudsman, BBB complaints, individual Commissioner letters, media outreach) shows that TWC only responds to external pressure, not to serving the people who depend on them. For anyone just starting this process, please learn from everyone's experiences here: - Document EVERYTHING from day one (dates, times, names, reference numbers) - Don't rely on just one avenue - hit them from multiple angles simultaneously - State senators seem more effective than state reps - BBB complaints actually get responses (bizarre but apparently true) - Local investigative reporters love these government dysfunction stories The systemic nature of these delays really does seem like it could warrant legal action or at minimum a formal investigation by the State Auditor. When this many people are experiencing identical problems (cases sitting unassigned, zero communication, excessive delays), that's not individual failures - that's institutional dysfunction. Keep fighting everyone. The system is designed to make you give up, but your stories prove that persistence and strategic pressure actually work. We shouldn't have to do this, but since we do, at least we can support each other through it!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly validating - I thought I was going crazy! I've been waiting 15 months for my Commission Appeal decision after my employer falsely claimed I was terminated for "poor performance" (I have emails proving otherwise). What's particularly maddening is that I actually called TWC yesterday using the Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier, and even the Tier 2 rep told me they have "no visibility" into Commission Appeals once they're submitted. She literally said "it's like they disappear into a black hole." At least she was honest! I'm going to implement the multi-pronged strategy everyone's outlined here - state senator, ombudsman, BBB complaint, and individual Commissioner letters. The fact that so many people have found success with this approach gives me hope that persistence really does pay off. One thing I wanted to add based on my research - I found out that TWC is required to maintain certain performance standards under federal law for processing unemployment appeals. If anyone has documentation of these excessive delays, it might be worth filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor as well. Federal oversight might carry more weight than state-level complaints. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and strategies. It's awful that we need this information, but this community is a lifeline for people navigating this broken system. I'll definitely update with my progress!

Off topic but whatever happend to that TWC online chat feature they were supposed to roll out? Would be so much easier than these phone calls that never go through. Every time I check the website it still says "coming soon" but it's been that way for ages. Anyone actually seen it working?

Just checking in - were you able to submit your payment request and explain the job refusal situation? Hope it went smoothly.

Congratulations Keisha! 🎉 That's absolutely fantastic news that your appeal was decided in your favor! I can only imagine the huge relief you must be feeling right now after all that waiting and stress about rent and bills. 17 days is actually pretty reasonable timing based on what everyone shared about the typical process. I noticed your message got cut off right at the important part - you mentioned the letter says your claim has been... what exactly? Really curious to know what the next steps are! From all the helpful advice shared here, it sounds like you'll need to log into your TWC portal and manually request payment for all those back weeks that were on hold during the appeal. The money won't automatically deposit - you'll need to actively submit payment requests for each eligible week. Definitely make sure your direct deposit information is up to date first so there aren't any unnecessary delays! Thanks so much for keeping us all posted throughout this whole process - it's really encouraging for others in similar situations to see a positive outcome. Hope you can get those payment requests processed quickly and finally catch up on everything! 💪

Congratulations Keisha! 🎉 That's absolutely amazing news that your appeal was decided in your favor! I can only imagine the relief you must be feeling after all that stress and waiting, especially with rent coming due. 17 days is actually pretty good timing based on what everyone was sharing about the typical 14-21 day window. I noticed your message got cut off right at the crucial part though - you mentioned the letter says your claim has been... what exactly? I'm really curious to hear what the next steps look like! From all the great advice shared in this thread, it sounds like you'll need to log into your TWC account and manually request payment for all those back weeks that were held up during the appeal. The system won't automatically send the money - you'll need to actively submit payment requests for each eligible week. And definitely double-check that your direct deposit info is current before you start so there aren't any delays! Thanks so much for keeping us all updated throughout this whole journey. It's really encouraging for others going through similar situations to see that persistence pays off and the system does eventually work. Hope you can get those payments processed super quickly and finally catch up on everything! 💪

Congrats on the new job! I went through this exact situation about a year ago and was just as confused about the timing. You're absolutely doing the right thing by asking upfront - it shows you're being responsible about following TWC rules. Just to echo what everyone else has said, you definitely want to keep claiming benefits until June 18th (your actual first day of work) and answer "no" to any questions about working during that time. The onboarding paperwork is just administrative stuff, not actual employment. When you start working on June 18th, that's when you'll report it on your next payment request. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple folder (physical or digital) with all my documentation - offer letter, onboarding completion confirmations, first timesheet, etc. Having everything organized made me feel much more confident about the whole process. The waiting week did process automatically for me, but it took about 2-3 weeks after I reported returning to work. You're handling this perfectly by getting informed ahead of time!

Congratulations on your new job! You're absolutely doing the right thing by asking about this upfront. I had a very similar situation about 4 months ago where I completed all my onboarding and background check paperwork almost 3 weeks before my actual start date. I was so worried about messing up with TWC! What I learned is exactly what everyone else here is saying - you only report employment when you actually start working and earning wages. The onboarding paperwork, even signing your official offer letter, doesn't count as "employment" for TWC purposes. I kept filing my payment requests right up until my first day of actual work and had no issues at all. One thing I'd add is to make sure you save a copy of any onboarding completion emails or confirmations you get - not because they're your employment start date, but because they show the timeline of events if TWC ever has questions. Also, when you do start on June 18th, try to get a copy of your first day's schedule or timesheet as additional documentation. The waiting week processed automatically for me about 2-3 weeks after I reported returning to full-time work, so don't panic if it doesn't show up immediately. You're being really smart about getting all the details sorted out ahead of time - that's exactly how to avoid any complications later on!

Zoe, this is such great news! Winning an appeal after dealing with employer BS for months must feel amazing. I went through something very similar last summer - got denied initially because my employer claimed "poor performance" when they really just eliminated my position due to budget cuts. Here's my timeline after winning: Got the decision letter on a Wednesday, status changed to eligible the following Tuesday (5 business days), and payment hit my account that Friday (3 more business days). So 8 business days total from decision to payment. The key thing that sped up my process was making sure I had requested payment for EVERY single week, including the ones that were initially denied. Sounds like you've been doing that correctly, which is huge. Since your status just flipped to eligible yesterday, I'd expect to see movement in the next 3-5 business days based on what I've seen in this community. TWC's system is slow but once it starts moving, it usually follows through pretty quickly. One tip - if you have the TWC mobile app, sometimes the payment status updates there before it actually hits your bank account. Might give you a heads up that it's coming! You're so close to getting what you're owed. After 3+ months of this stress, you definitely deserve some good news soon!

Congratulations on winning your appeal, Zoe! That's such a huge relief after months of stress and uncertainty. I went through a very similar situation about a year ago - employer claimed "attendance issues" when I was actually dealing with a family emergency they knew about. Your timeline sounds very promising! The fact that your account status changed to "eligible" yesterday is definitely a strong indicator that the payment processing is moving along. In my case, once that status flipped from disqualified to eligible, I received my payment exactly 6 business days later. A couple of things that might help while you wait: 1. Keep checking both the website and mobile app - sometimes one updates before the other 2. Make sure your direct deposit info is current (if you're using that method) 3. Consider setting up account alerts so you'll know immediately when the payment hits Since you've been diligently doing your payment requests throughout the appeal process, you should be all set to receive the full backpay for all those weeks. That's going to be a substantial amount after 3+ months! The waiting is definitely the hardest part after winning the appeal. You've done everything right - now it's just a matter of their system catching up. Based on what you've shared and the experiences of others here, I'd expect to see that payment within the next few business days. Hang in there!